The Australian Greens renewed their call for media law reform today as mining billionaire Gina Rinehart moved one step closer to controlling Fairfax Media by installing a close associate on the company’s board.

The Greens communications spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said: “The concentration of media ownership in this country had already reached crisis point long before Ms Rinehart bought into Fairfax and Channel Ten with the express aim of promoting her agenda. She now has a key ally on the Fairfax board – fast food tycoon Jack Cowin, who is already on the board at Ten.

“The Greens have proposed a bill to protect the public’s interest in an independent and diverse media; this needs to be debated and supported as soon as Parliament resumes in August.

“Our plan is to tackle the growing domination of the mainstream media by an ever-shrinking handful of powerful interests. We urgently need to get a sense of what the Government’s intentions are.”